Lantana plant named ‘2003.301’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘2003.301’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; freely branching growth habit; relatively small leaves; freely flowering habit; and large red-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘2003.301’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘2003.301’.

The new Lantana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Bozen, Italy. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact freely-branching Lantana cultivars with attractive flower coloration.

The new Lantana originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2002 in Bozen, Italy of the Lantana camara cultivar Mini Yellow, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Lantana camara identified as code number 2000#12, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lantana was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Bozen, Italy in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lantana by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Bozen, Italy since May, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar 2003.301 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘2003.301’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘2003.301’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Relatively small leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large red-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the         foliage.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Mini Yellow. Plants of the new Lantana differ from plants of the cultivar Mini Yellow in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana are more upright than plants of the         cultivar Mini Yellow.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana flower earlier than plants of the         cultivar Mini Yellow.     -   3. Plants of the new Lantana have larger flowers than plants of         the cultivar Mini Yellow.     -   4. Plants of the new Lantana and the cultivar Mini Yellow differ         in flower color as plants of the cultivar Mini Yellow have         yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Lantana differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana are more compact than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana have smaller leaves than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Lantana and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have dark yellow/orange-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the Lantana cultivar Goldsonne, not patented. Plants of the new Lantana differ from plants of the cultivar Goldsonne in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana are more compact than plants of the         cultivar Goldsonne.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana have shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar Goldsonne.     -   3. Plants of the new Lantana have smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Goldsonne.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Lantana, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lantana.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘2003.301’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘2003.301’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., under commercial practice during the spring and summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 13° C. to 38° C. and night temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 24° C. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were grown in containers for about three months. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar 2003.301. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lantana camara cultivar Mini             Yellow, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Lantana             camara identified as code number 2000#12, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at 27° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 days at 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 37 days at 29°             C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; thin; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Compact and upright plant habit. Freely             branching habit with about four to five lateral branches per             plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 24 cm by 26 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 23 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3.5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent; coarse.         -   Color.—146B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.7 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic to ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrate to crenate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; coarse, rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             147A; venation, 146C. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 147B; venation, 147C.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 146B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Solitary tubular flowers             arranged in hemispherical axially umbels; flowers face             mostly upward or outward; flowers sessile. Freely flowering             habit with potentially two inflorescences developing per             node, each umbel with about 30 flowers.         -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn;             flowering continuous during this period.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About four to five days.             Flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; grapefruit-like.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             four-parted. Diameter: About 7 mm by 9 mm. Depth (height):             About 1.7 cm. Tube diameter: About 2 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Elongate, oblong. Color: Towards the apex, 45A;             towards the base, 23B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of four fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Petal lobe width:             About 3 mm to 4 mm. Petal lobe shape: Rounded. Petal lobe             apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire, slightly sinuate. Petal             texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Petal texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Color: When opening, upper             surface: 17B; towards the margins, 33A. When opening, lower             surface: 16B. Fully opened, upper surface: With development,             color shifts from 26A, to 28A, to 42A and to eventually 46A.             Fully opened, lower surface: With development, color shifts             from 31A to 31B, to 34B to 34C, to 42B and to eventually 46A             to 46B. Corolla tube: With development, color shifts from             28C, to 34B to 34C and to eventually 45D.         -   Calyx.—Appearance: Short and narrow tubular calyx. Length:             About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal             margin: Entire. Sepal texture, inner surface: Smooth,             glabrous. Sepal texture, outer surface: Pubescent. Sepal             color, inner surfaces: 145C. Sepal color, outer surface:             145A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 cm to 3.6 cm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 147B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower, adnate to floral tube. Filament length: About 2 mm.             Filament color: 10A. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less             than 1 mm. Anther color: 12B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: 12B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color:             145B. Style length: About 2.5 mm. Style color: 145C. Ovary             color: 145A.         -   Fruits/seed.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 38° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Lantanas. 

1. A new and distinct Lantana plant named ‘2003.301’ as illustrated and described. 